Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift
What Is the Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift?
Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift is a compound exercise that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings and also engages the quadriceps, lower back and the muscles along the sides of the trunk. It is a beginner-level movement in which a single kettlebell is lifted from the floor beside one foot, the way you would pick up a suitcase, so the load pulls the body to one side for the whole set.
The legs and hips do the lifting, exactly as in any deadlift. What the offset load adds is a job for the trunk: because the weight hangs from one hand, the torso has to stay upright and the shoulders level instead of tipping toward the bell. Coaches use it to build that side-to-side control alongside a basic hinge, and it carries over directly to picking up a bag, a bucket or a child's car seat with one hand. It fits well as a lighter accessory lift after a main lower-body exercise, or in the core section of a session.
Because the bell rides beside the leg instead of in front of the shins, the hips can sink and the knees bend as far as needed to reach it with a flat back, so the quads share the work with the hips, much as they do in a Trap Bar Deadlift. Holding a weight in each hand turns it into a Dumbbell Deadlift and removes the side pull, while walking with the bell after lifting it turns it into a Dumbbell Suitcase Carry. Gripping the bell with one hand also makes grip a bigger part of the effort.
It suits beginners learning to hinge, lifters who want trunk work that is done standing, and anyone who wants to compare their left and right sides, since each side is lifted on its own and a lean or tilt shows up at once. If keeping the shoulders level is hard, build up with the two-handed Kettlebell Deadlift and the Side Plank first, and start with the bell raised on a low block if you cannot reach the floor with a flat back.
Muscles Worked
- Biceps Femoris
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Erector Spinae
- High
- External Oblique
- High
- Vastus Lateralis
- High
- Vastus Medialis
- High
- Adductor Magnus
- Medium
- Gluteus Medius
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
Instructions
- Stand with your feet about hip to shoulder width apart and your toes pointing forward or slightly out, with a kettlebell on the floor just outside your right foot and its handle pointing forward.
- Place your left hand on your hip, brace your trunk and set your shoulders level.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower yourself straight down beside the bell, keeping your back flat and your chest facing forward.
- Grip the handle with your right hand, palm facing your leg and arm straight.
- Drive through both feet and stand up, extending your hips and knees together so the bell travels straight up beside your leg.
- Finish standing tall with your hips and knees straight, your shoulders level and your right arm hanging long, without shrugging or leaning toward or away from the bell.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower the bell along the same path until it lightly touches the floor, keeping your shoulders level.
- Complete all reps on this side, then switch the bell to your left hand and repeat with the same number of reps.
Common Mistakes
Leaning toward the bell
Letting the loaded shoulder drop and the torso tilt toward the kettlebell bends the spine sideways under load and removes the trunk work the exercise is meant to train.
Leaning away to compensate
Tilting the torso or hiking the hip away from the bell is the same fault in the other direction, so aim for level shoulders and level hips rather than a counter-lean.
Twisting to reach the bell
Turning the shoulders toward the kettlebell at the bottom puts the spine in a twisted position just as the lift starts, so lower straight down beside it with the chest facing forward.
Rounding the lower back
Reaching for the floor by rounding the back instead of pushing the hips back and bending the knees shifts the load from the hips to the spine.
Shrugging or bending the arm
The loaded arm should hang straight and the shoulder stay down, because shrugging or curling the bell turns the lift into an arm and neck effort.
Hips rising before the chest
Letting the hips shoot up first leaves the back doing the lifting, so drive through both feet and let the hips and shoulders rise together.
Injuries
Kettlebell Suitcase Deadlift is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is usually light, and the movement is a basic hinge, but the lower back is the area to protect: rounding to reach the floor, or bending sideways toward the bell as it comes up, puts the spine under load in a weak position. The grip and the loaded shoulder can also tire before the legs do, and a bell that slips forward pulls the back out of position.
Choose a bell you can lift for every rep with your shoulders level and your back flat, keep it close to your leg, and brace your trunk before each lift. If you cannot touch the bell to the floor without rounding, raise it on a low block or a stack of plates until your hip mobility improves. Set the bell down under control rather than letting it drop, and do the same number of reps on each side.
To make it easier, go back to the two-handed Kettlebell Deadlift, where the load sits between the feet and there is no side pull. To progress, use a heavier bell, slow the lowering phase, or walk with the bell after lifting it as in the Dumbbell Suitcase Carry. If you have current back pain, get clearance from a physical therapist before loading one side.
Stop if you feel sharp or pinching pain in your lower back, pain that travels down a leg, or numbness or tingling in your legs or hand. Ordinary muscle fatigue in the hips, thighs, sides of the trunk and grip is expected.
- Primary Focus
- Glutes and hamstrings
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is it different from a regular kettlebell deadlift?
In a Kettlebell Deadlift the bell sits between your feet and you hold it with both hands, so the load is centered. In the suitcase version the bell sits beside one foot in one hand, so your trunk also has to keep you from tipping toward it, and you will usually lift a lighter bell.
- Q: How heavy should the kettlebell be?
Pick a bell you can lift for every rep with your shoulders level, your back flat and the bell close to your leg. If your torso starts to tilt or your grip gives out before your legs tire, the bell is too heavy for now.
- Q: Should I do the same number of reps on each side?
Yes. Many coaches start with the weaker side and then match those reps on the stronger side, so both sides get the same work and any difference between them stays visible.
- Q: What should I do with my free hand?
Resting it on your hip, as shown, keeps it out of the way and helps you notice if your hips shift. Holding the free arm out to the side with a tight fist is a common alternative; either works as long as your shoulders stay level.
- Q: Should I do suitcase deadlifts or suitcase carries?
They train the same side-to-side control in different ways: the deadlift asks you to stay level while you hinge and stand up, and the Dumbbell Suitcase Carry asks you to stay level while you walk. Many programs use both, and lifting the bell with a clean suitcase deadlift is a sensible way to pick it up for a carry.